Many of us are intrigued by fashion, by the custom of wearing jewelry and body adornments. Why is violet once again the color and not green? Only a few months ago in shop windows all over New York one could see a range of color that was almost exclusively orange and green– neon bright, lime green, turquoise, from shirts to dresses to underwear. Electric orange and sometimes mango or papaya and even burnt orange– but no longer coral, poppy, or rose pink. The jewelry changed– you could see chains everywhere, with earthy stones, amber, citrine and crystals ub all colors… and suddenly– violet! lavender! jewel purple! You can see the influence of amethyst in the small details: shoes, bags, belts. Even the jewelry changed and became delicate, and because of the crazy rise in the prize of gold (shooting up over $1,500 an ounce), among designers there is a lot of talk about vermeil and mixed metal. Once again, silver plated and gold fill chains are respectable, and Vintage pieces have earned a new appreciation.
Pero no se trata solamente de modas. Desde la antigüedad se preferían ciertas piedras y ciertos colores. Cada cultura contribuye algo diferente, y cada persona responde a su manera. Vamos a explorar algo más sobre los colores y lo espiritual, lo estético, las preferencias muy personales. Pero por ahora, he aquí mis propias definiciones de las propiedades de las piedras preciosas y semi-preciosas, que es el resultado de diseñar y trabajar con estas piedras y materiales de la tierra por mas de 20 años. (Don’t stop reading! The Meaning of Stones in English follows. MRC)

But it’s not just about fashion. Since antiquity people preferred certain stones and certain colors. Each culture contributed something different, and each person responded in her or his own way. We will explore further the meaning of color and the spiritual connection– the animus– which we can all feel as our “mood,” the esthetic, our personal preferences. But for now, here are my own definitions about the meaning of stones, distilled so it’s easy to remember, the result of working with precious and semi precious stones, these materials from the earth for over 20 years.

Beryls:
Aquamarine- purpose and direction; meditation
Emerald- amplification of understanding; balancing the aura (wear on the left hand, or as a pendant)
Chrysoberyl- brings peace of mind to the wearer

Chalcedony:

Turquoise & sunstone

Agate- talisman against fear; good for dreams
Carnelian- stimulates energy
Sardonyx- good fortune

Coral- good for averting negative intent (wear in combination with black onyx or jet, for averting the “evil eye”)

Corundum:
Ruby- mental concentration and strength (wear on the left hand, but not continuously)
Sapphire- lightness and joy; best for the quiet nature

Feldspar:
Moonstone- reflection of the wearer (wear on the Full Moon)
Iridescent moonstone (Labradorite)- consciousness of clear mind